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| EU referendum: Who's who guide to the UK exit campaigns | EU referendum: Who's who guide to the UK exit campaigns |
| (17 days later) | |
| Britain's membership of the European Union is to be put to a public vote by the end of 2017. Here's a guide to the Eurosceptic groups campaigning for an exit, and the key players involved. | Britain's membership of the European Union is to be put to a public vote by the end of 2017. Here's a guide to the Eurosceptic groups campaigning for an exit, and the key players involved. |
| Rival groups | Rival groups |
| Two campaigns, Leave.EU and Vote Leave, have been launched in recent weeks to push for a UK exit from the EU. | Two campaigns, Leave.EU and Vote Leave, have been launched in recent weeks to push for a UK exit from the EU. |
| Vote Leave was launched on 9 October 2015, and comprises a cross-party group of MPs and peers from the Conservatives, Labour and UKIP. | Vote Leave was launched on 9 October 2015, and comprises a cross-party group of MPs and peers from the Conservatives, Labour and UKIP. |
| It is funded by people of different party affiliations including City millionaire and Tory donor Peter Cruddas, Labour's biggest private financial backer John Mills and Stuart Wheeler, a Tory-turned-UKIP donor. | It is funded by people of different party affiliations including City millionaire and Tory donor Peter Cruddas, Labour's biggest private financial backer John Mills and Stuart Wheeler, a Tory-turned-UKIP donor. |
| Three Eurosceptic groups are backing Vote Leave: | Three Eurosceptic groups are backing Vote Leave: |
| Douglas Carswell, UKIP's only elected representative in the House of Commons, has broken ranks with his party leader to support the group. | Douglas Carswell, UKIP's only elected representative in the House of Commons, has broken ranks with his party leader to support the group. |
| Vote Leave is being run by Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group founder Matthew Elliot, who organised the successful 'No2AV' campaign in the referendum on reform of the Westminster voting system, and Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove. | Vote Leave is being run by Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group founder Matthew Elliot, who organised the successful 'No2AV' campaign in the referendum on reform of the Westminster voting system, and Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove. |
| Leave.EU was formerly called The Know and rebranded when an amended referendum question was proposed. Founded by UKIP donor Arron Banks, it has the backing of party leader Nigel Farage, who billed it as an "umbrella group" of anti-EU campaigners. | Leave.EU was formerly called The Know and rebranded when an amended referendum question was proposed. Founded by UKIP donor Arron Banks, it has the backing of party leader Nigel Farage, who billed it as an "umbrella group" of anti-EU campaigners. |
| It describes itself as "Britain's fastest-growing grassroots organisation" and claims to have gained 175,000 members since The Know was launched in August. | It describes itself as "Britain's fastest-growing grassroots organisation" and claims to have gained 175,000 members since The Know was launched in August. |
| What happens now | What happens now |
| It will be up to the elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, to designate which of the groups will become the official "Leave" campaign - though no decision has yet been taken. The chosen group (as well as the official "In" campaign) will benefit from increased spending limits of £7m during the campaign period, campaign broadcasts and a free mail-out to households. They all get access to public meeting rooms and to the electoral register, and are entitled to public grants of up to £600,000. | It will be up to the elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, to designate which of the groups will become the official "Leave" campaign - though no decision has yet been taken. The chosen group (as well as the official "In" campaign) will benefit from increased spending limits of £7m during the campaign period, campaign broadcasts and a free mail-out to households. They all get access to public meeting rooms and to the electoral register, and are entitled to public grants of up to £600,000. |
| What have the camps said about each other? | What have the camps said about each other? |
| Commenting on the launch of Vote Leave, Nigel Farage said he believed the two campaigns were aimed at "different audiences". He said Vote Leave was making "Westminster-based" business arguments but believed that Leave.EU would be able to reach outside to wider audiences. | Commenting on the launch of Vote Leave, Nigel Farage said he believed the two campaigns were aimed at "different audiences". He said Vote Leave was making "Westminster-based" business arguments but believed that Leave.EU would be able to reach outside to wider audiences. |
| Conservatives for Britain, which backs Vote Leave, received a less generous welcome from Leave.EU when it was launched. The group said Conservatives for Britain was "run by the Westminster bubble" and branded its leader, ex-chancellor Lord Lawson, a "has-been". | Conservatives for Britain, which backs Vote Leave, received a less generous welcome from Leave.EU when it was launched. The group said Conservatives for Britain was "run by the Westminster bubble" and branded its leader, ex-chancellor Lord Lawson, a "has-been". |
| Mr Carswell said it was a "one-horse race" in favour of Vote Leave to become the official campaign, and dismissed the level of support for Leave.EU, saying: "Getting a whole bunch of likes on Facebook is not the same as winning a referendum." | |
| Merger mooted | Merger mooted |
| Speaking as Vote Leave was launched, both Mr Carswell and Mr Farage talked up the possibility of a single campaign. UKIP's leader said the two campaigns were "complementary not contradictory" and that he hoped for "one campaign that operates on a number of levels". Mr Carswell told BBC News he believed it was "only a matter of time" before the two campaigns rolled into one. | Speaking as Vote Leave was launched, both Mr Carswell and Mr Farage talked up the possibility of a single campaign. UKIP's leader said the two campaigns were "complementary not contradictory" and that he hoped for "one campaign that operates on a number of levels". Mr Carswell told BBC News he believed it was "only a matter of time" before the two campaigns rolled into one. |
| Farage's role | Farage's role |
| The scale of the UKIP leader's involvement in the campaign to leave the EU has been the subject of much debate. Mr Farage has insisted he does not want to lead the official campaign, and some Eurosceptics fear he would be too divisive a figure to fill that role. He has however said UKIP will "take the lead" in the campaign to quit the EU. | The scale of the UKIP leader's involvement in the campaign to leave the EU has been the subject of much debate. Mr Farage has insisted he does not want to lead the official campaign, and some Eurosceptics fear he would be too divisive a figure to fill that role. He has however said UKIP will "take the lead" in the campaign to quit the EU. |
| Referendum on the UK's future in the European Union | Referendum on the UK's future in the European Union |
| The UK is to have a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether to remain a member of the European Union or to leave. The vote is being proceeded by a process of negotiations in which the Conservative government is seeking to secure a new deal for the UK. | The UK is to have a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether to remain a member of the European Union or to leave. The vote is being proceeded by a process of negotiations in which the Conservative government is seeking to secure a new deal for the UK. |
| Explained: What David Cameron wants from the EU negotiations | Explained: What David Cameron wants from the EU negotiations |
| Guide: All you need to know about the referendum | Guide: All you need to know about the referendum |
| Analysis: Latest from the BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler | Analysis: Latest from the BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler |
| More: BBC News EU referendum special report | More: BBC News EU referendum special report |